Top for cans.



H. L. FREEBORN.

TOP FOR CANS. APPLICATION FILED 001211, 1905. RENEWED APR. 25, 1907.

Patented Mar. 23, 1909.

imITE-D; OFFICE.

' HARRY on NEW YORK, it Y. I

gpecifica'tion of Letters Patent.

Patented March as, 1909.

Application filed October 17, 1905, 8eria1 No. 288,086. iienewed April 26, 1907. Serial No. 370,120.

"- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY L. FREEBORN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at No.

100 West One hundred and thirty-ninth street, in the borough. of Manhattan, New

York, N. Y., which is also my post-oflice adspecification an dress, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Tops for Cans, fully described and re resented in the following the accompanying drawmgs, forming a part of thes'ame.

My invention relates to sheet metal cans, the invention-residing particularly in the novel construction of the lid or cover of the can, whereby the can may he hermetically sealed in the usual manner and afterward tion attached thereto, so that the disconnected portion may be bent upwardly for the purpose of getting at the contents of the can without entirely disconnecting the lid from the can.

Other objects of the invention will hereinafter appear andthe novel features thereof will be set forth in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of the specification: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a can showing the lid or cover constructed according'to my invention applied thereto;

Fig.2 is a similar view, with the detachable portion of the flange removed and a portion of the lid or cover raised and showing a modifled form of cover flange; Fig. 3' is a detail sectional view of the lid or cover after the detachable portion thereof has been removed; Fig, 4 is a sectional view of the complete can in its closed condition, and Fig. 5 is a bottom view thereof.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in the different views.

The body 1 of the can may be of any suitable form or construction. It has been shown, however, as cylindrical. Secured to one end thereof is a lid or cover 2 having a flange 3 extendin around the edge thereof which closely em races the body 1 and is adapted to be soldered thereto. This flange may be ribbed or beaded, as shown at 4, in Figs. 1 and 3, or may be left plain, as shown at 5, Fig. 2. Extending around the flange 3 is a line of weakening 6 which may be formed by indentations or in any other suitable way. This line of weakening is provided for the urposeof enabling the lower portion of the flange 3 to be disconnected from the upper portion thereof for the urpose of opening the can. On op osite si es of the cover 2 the line of wea ening 6 has been shown as extended upwardly and then downwardly to produce the notches 7, and adjacent to said notches a handle or finger-piece 8 is formed. It is essential that the line of weakening 6 shall extend at one end from a point intermediate the uppei and lower edges of the flange 3, down to the lower edge of said flange, and that the handle 8 be connected to said flange at this point. The reason for this will be obviouswhen it is understood that after the cover 2 is applied to the body 1 of the can and soldered thereto along the lower ed e of the flange 3, it is intended to remove t e lower portion of the flange 3 by grasping the handle 8 and severing the lower portion of the flange from the u per portion along the line of weakening 6 an at the same time disconnectin it from the body 1 of the can by tearing it rom the solder which connects it therewith.

In the embodiment of my invention herein shown, it is intended that the part 9 of the cover shall be permanently secured to the a body 1 of the can and that the part 10 thereof may be disconnected from the body of the can so as to be moved upwardly. For this reason two notches 7 have been shown on opposite sides of the flange 3, the two parts 9 and 10 of the cover being separated from each other by the line connecting said notches. This line divides the cover 2 into the two parts 9 and '10, which are of unequal size, Along the line between the notches 7 a groove 11 may be formed to facilitate the ending of the lid or cover, although this is not essential. On opposite sides of the line of division between the two.parts of the cover, however, I prefer to employ stiffening ribs 12 so as to insure the flexure: of the cover along the line 11. It is important that the line of can, of a lid or cover having an annular of said flange, forming a detachable portion or strip, stiffening ribs on the surface of said weakening 6-, in the form ofthe invention herein shown, should extend up to a point adjacent to the flat surface ofthe lid or cover 2 and down to the lower edge of the flange 3.

In using the device in the form illustrated, the lid or cover 2 is applied and the flange 3 thereof is soldered to the body 1 along the lower edge of said flange, so as to hermetically seal the can-and retain the cover in place. When it is desired to get at the contents of the can, the handle 8 is gras ed and moved laterally, the pressure eXerte tearing or severing the lower part of the flange 3 from the u per part 2, along the line of the notches 7 an the main portion of the line of weakening 6. When the lower part of the flange has been completely removed, the part-1O of the cover may be raised, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the same hinging along the line 11 which separates the two parts 9 and 10 of the cover from each other. If it be desired to afterward close the cover, the part 10 may be bent downwardly into the osition shown in Fig. 1, where it will be he (1 by the frictional contact of the flange 3 with the end of the body 1.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. The combination with the body of a can, of a lid or cover having an annular flange thereon secured along its lower edge to said body, the said flange having a line of weakening therein which terminates at two points on opposite sides thereof and which extends at its ends down to the lower edge of said flange, forming a detachable portion or strip, and a handle on said detachable portion.

2. The combination with the body of a flange thereon secured along its lower edge to said body, the said flange having a line of weakening therein which terminates at two points on opposite sides thereof and which extends at its ends down to the lower edge lid or cover on opposite sides of the line of i connection between the ends of said line of I weakening, and a handle on said detachable portion. 3. The combination with the body of a can, of a lid or cover having an annular flange thereon secured along its lower edge to said body, the said flange having a line of weakening therein which extends upwardly at two points on opposite sides thereof and then downwardly at its ends to the lower edge of said flange, producing notches, and formin a detachable portion or strip, and a hand e on said detachable portion.

4. The combination with a can body, of a top attachedto the can body by a flange,

, with a line of indentations upon a portion of "the flange, forming a detac able strip, and notches 7 close to the disk of the can top at the ends of such strip, with the groove 1 1 extended across the disk between the said notches to facilitate the flexure of the top when the strip is detached.

5. The combination with a can body, of a top attached to the can body by a flange, and having the transverse groove 11 dividing it into two portions, and the flange of one portion being provided with a detachable strip to release such portion to serve as a hinged lid.

6. The combination with a can body, of a top attached to the can body by a flange and having the transverse groove 11 dividing it into two unequal portions 9 and 10, the flange of the portion 10 being formed with a rib 4 adjacent to the disk and with a line of indentations below such rib to form a separable stri with notches 7 in the flange at opposite en s of such strip and a handle 8 attached to the flan e, whereby the strip may be attached and fflie portion 10 released to serve as a hinged lid.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY L. FREEBORN.

Witnesses W. H. V AN STERNBERGH,

JAooB MARX. 

